Warning: It doesn’t contain the elusive shiny red ball that most are blindly chasing.
“In a world where we are constantly striving to ‘gain an edge’ we often lose sight of the fundamentals.
This is especially true for the youth athlete population.
All the sport specific lessons in the world are pointless for kids who don’t prioritize sleep or eat breakfast.”
-Ray Zingler on X
I get it, I really do.
It’s a fast paced, competitive world, and every single day there are more and more gurus on street corners, promising you that ‘their thing’ and ‘their method’ is going to be what helps your kid gain an edge.
Never mind the 5 other sport specific coaches you’ve been to, to adjust his swing. It’s definitely this 6th guy, 90 minutes away from your house who has all the answers..
No. It’s not.
It’s often the fundamental components that we constantly overlook that hold the keys to our improved performance.
We’re going to see a sport specific coach where? And for how much!?
But your kid stays up until 1am watching TikTok videos and walks out the door with a processed granola bar that he or she eats half of? And we’re convinced that guru Joe is going to improve baseball or volleyball performance?
And we can’t even go to bed on time or eat a highly nutritious, protein rich breakfast?
Look I’m all for our kids getting coached up. I am all about seeking, finding, and trying different things until we find what works, but most certainly not at the expense of not prioritizing the fundamentals.
Let’s say you do find that guru you like.. Do you think your kid is ever going to be the best he or she can be, sleeping 4 hours a night and not nourishing themselves?
Of course not.
It’s impossible.
As great as that guru might be, the keys to the ceiling of potential resides under your roof.
On their pillows and in your pantry and refrigerator.
It’s so simple it’s hard.
Every single day we overlook the most mundane, yet critical components of this “performance puzzle” because we are so fixated on what “they” are doing over there.
“Who’s he seeing?”
“What is she doing?”
Stop worrying about other people’s grass and start watering your own.
You want to see improved performance, here’s your formula:
1) Prioritize Quality Sleep
2) Eat in a way that will help you achieve your goals.
3) Performance Train with a Professional (Year-Round).
4) Practice & play your sports.
5) Consistently improve your sport IQ.
Listen, most are going to chase the shiny red ball, but I promise it’s covered in cheap rattle can paint.
